Electrical Fires

 

Think for a moment about the first instinct you would have if a small fire broke out- water, right? It’s a little flame, so drown that sucker! Excellent idea! Unless, of course, it’s an electrical fire. Then pouring water on the flame could be suicide.

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According to the U.S. Fire Administration, electrical fires kill 310 Americans a year, and injure over a thousand more. Electrical fires are different from other kinds of fires because of their source- often they are the result of faulty electrical equipment or wires. While the electricity is still fueling the fire, there is a serious risk of electrical shock if water is used to try and combat it. Remember that water is a highly conductive material, so electricity will happily follow it through the body of the person holding the water source and into the ground, causing serious injury or even death in the process. Many firefighter’s deaths have been as a result of electrical shock because they were unaware that the fire they were fighting had an electrical source.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
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Another hidden danger of electrical fires is that they often begin within the wiring of the home. By the time you notice smoke coming from your outlet and shut off the power there could be something very dangerous burning within your walls, completely unseen.

So how can you fight a hidden fire that can’t be killed with water? You can make an attempt with a chemical fire extinguisher, but this is not guaranteed to put the fire completely out- often it simply causes the fire to smolder and reignite. Your best option is to shut off your power at the main breaker and immediately call the fire department, informing them that it is an electrical fire. Then take your family and pets and leave the house immediately! It is very important to make sure the fire department knows what kind of fire it is so that they can fight it properly.

Of course, all of this assumes that you will be alerted to the fire in time to save yourself and your family. Are your smoke detectors functioning properly?

Share your $0.02! Have you ever experienced a fire with an electrical source? What did you do?